[MadIvan]

ivan, is he known as a charlatan in british art circles? many art dealers fawn over his animal entrails in the US. in my opinion he's disgusting and not to be taken seriously.

Contessa:

There is a certain scene that takes him seriously, but the wider public thinks Damien Hirst = Dead Animals, not Art. Of course that scene regards the rest of us as philistines. On the other hand, I happen to love 19th century art, and so I regard Mr. Hirst as a barbarian. ;)

Regards, Ivan

[Lizard_King]

Myself, I actually like a lot of so-called modern art, especially when it comes to certain types of architecture. However, Mr Hirst makes a vast mistake, in my opinion, in thinking that the appreciation of any work can be separated from the context in which it was created. Would he also praise a soap sculpture made from murdered Jews in 1945?
In the mess of moral relativism in which so many artists dwell, I can understand why these often evil persons would sympathize with the WTC bombing on the side of the terrorists. But it is a far cry from understanding where they are coming to accepting it as a valid, moral, or remotely humane viewpoint, especially when they claim it is an ideologically neutral one.

I think the idea of a "piss Koran" is groovy. I wish someone would do it, if only to push the monsters at the NEA into a corner...I'll even volunteer the urine...